Just when the audience at an event Sunday marking the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence thought the highlight of the evening was a performance by Abdel Rahman, U.S. Ambassador Sergio Gore announced a surprise — a phone call from President Donald Trump.
“I just want to say hello to everyone. I love the Prime Minister, [Narendra] “Modi is great, he’s my friend and I just want to say good evening to everyone,” Trump said as Gaur held up his phone to the microphone inside a hall at the Bharat Mandapam.
“We have never been closer to India, and India can count on me and our country 100 percent,” Trump said in his typically expansive style. “If they ever need help, they know where to call — they call here.”
There were the usual Trump claims about the performance of the US economy – “We’re doing well, we’re setting records. We have a record economy, a record stock market” – and praise for Modi. “I am a big fan of Prime Minister Modi,” he said.
The event, which was attended by Foreign Affairs Secretary Marco Rubio and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar after their bilateral talks earlier in the day, witnessed a stellar performance by AR Rahman, who performed his hits like ‘Dil Se’, ‘Tere Bina’, ‘Kun Faya Kun’ and ‘Maa Tujhe Salaam’.
Trump referred to Rubio as “the greatest Secretary of State in the history of the United States,” and concluded his speech by saying, “Say hello to Prime Minister Modi and tell him I’m a big fan of his.”
In his speech, Jaishankar said the American Declaration of Independence expressed the ideas that shaped the modern world, such as individual liberty, the rule of law, freedom of expression and accountable governance, and their resonance in India was natural given the country’s history as a pluralistic society with a consultative ethos.
Jaishankar said that the experiences of the American independence movement were taken into account by the makers of the Indian Constitution, and the links between the two sides have grown as economic and technological ties have deepened.
He added that the common features of political democracies, market economies and open societies were strengthened by the convergence of national interests, enabling the two sides to overcome the “indecision of history.” He also noted that the Indian community in the US helped build political understanding between the two countries.
Jaishankar stressed that the fact that the world is going through a transitional era has made the relationship between India and the United States stronger. “The two countries have a common interest in reducing global economic risks and providing the world with more choices,” he said.
There was also an impromptu birthday celebration for Rubio, and the evening culminated in a performance by the American band Village People, a Trump favorite. The band performed their hits like “YMCA” but were a pale shadow of their former self, with singer Victor Willis being the only member of the original lineup.
